Road-surfacing machine



J. W. LEE.

ROAD SURFACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1919. 1,378,880. Patented y 24,1921. 3 SHEETSSHEET I.

v J. w. LEE. ROAD SURFACING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, I919.

' Patented May 24,1921.

3 SHEETS SHEET 2.

I. w. LEE.

ROAD SURFACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. I9I9.

1 ,378,880. Patented May 24, 1921..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. LEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

AMERICAN ROAD PLANE, INCORPORATED, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A

conrone'rron or DELAWARE.

ROAD-SURFACING macrrnvn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24, 1921.

Application filed May 5, 1919. Serial No. 294,779.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. LEE, a citizen of the United States residing at Chicago, in the county of dook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Road-Surfacing Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference more particularly to a road scraper for leveling and properly grading dirt or other unpaved roads. p

The ordinary roads through continuous use become rough and irregular, ruts and depressions are formed in the surface and the surface becomes packed down and hardened so that it is difiicult with the ordinary forms of road scrapers to resurface and grade the road without leaving irregularities due to the tilting of the machine as the wheels travel over the irregularities and depressions in the road and as the scraper encountersv hard crust formations on the surface of the road. It is the purpose of the invention to provide a machme of simple construction which obviates the difficulties heretofore experienced and serves, irrespective of irregularities and hard crust formation of the roadbed, to provide a smooth finished surface.- The principal objects of the invention are to provide a frame with a supporting shoe or plate extending transversely of the machine at the forward end arranged to draw readily over the roadbed and maintain the frame of the machine against lateral tilting by bridging depressions in the roadbed; to provide an adjustable wheeled support at the rear end of theframe for regulating the elevation of the frame; to provide a scraper blade diagonally arranged and rigidly supported on the frame intermediate of the forward and rear support, the cutting engagement of which is regulated by the adjustment of the rear wheeled support and the lateral tilting of which is prevented by the front supporting shoe of the frame; to provide an adjustable scarifying device on the frame ahead of the scraper blade to break up crust formations of the road surface and enable the scraper blade effectively to smooth off the surface of the road; and, in general, to provide an improved structure of simple form and with the operating parts readily adjustable to resurface a road in a devices for adjusting the elevation of the frame Fig. 5 an enlarged transverse sectional viewon the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 a sectional view on the line 6-6 of F ig. 5;

' ig. 7 a similar view with the scarifying dev ce swung to the operating position;

Fig. 8 an enlarged perspective view of the hugged support for the scarifying device; an

Fig. 9 a perspective view of the draft connection to the machine.

The frame of the machine may be constructed in any suitable manner to afford a stout structure for carrying the various parts of the device, the frame herein shown being made up of angle irons and comprising the side rails 1, transverse end connectors 2, and intermediate bracing and reinforcing members 3 and 4. Securely fastened to the forward ends of theside rails 1 are a pair of depending brackets 5, which have a heavy plate 6 secured to their lower ends and extending entirely across the machine and arranged as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 at a suitable inclination to drag readily over the surface of the ground. This affords the forward support for the surfacing machine frame and bridges over depressions in the road so that lateral tilting of the frame of the machine is avoided, as would occur if a wheeled structure were employed. The rear end of theframe of the machine is supported .by a pair of wheels 7 which are mounted on the ends of. a centrally arched ferential rib 7, as shown, or otherwise constructed to hold the machine on the road against lateral sliding which tends to take place owing to the slope of the road surface and angular disposition of the scraper blade 12.

For controlling adjustment of the axle 8 there is a gear segment 10 fixed on the arched portion of the axle and meshing with a gear segment 11 on the lower end of a lever 12, which lever is pivoted at 13 on an upright rack segment 14. The'lever 12 has the usual bolt 15 controlled by the grip lever 16 to engage the rack segment 14 for holding the lever in various positions of adjustment. By reason of the intermeshing of the gear segments 10 and 14, the swinging of the lever 12 on its pivot rotates the axle 8 and effects the raising and lowering of the frame of the machine.

A bail 17 is secured to the front ends of the side rails 1 and has a clevis plate 18 centrally arranged and provided with a plurality of perforations or bolt holes 19 affording an adjustable connection of the clevis 20 therewith, whereby the line of draft may be laterally adjusted.

Mounted on the frame of the machine a short distance ahead of the rear wheel support is a transverse scraper blade 21 which is rigidly secured in a diagonal position by brackets 22, depending from the side rails 1.

For breaking up the surface of the road preparatory to the action of the scraper blade 21 thereis a scarifying device mounted ahead of the scraper blade 21. This device comprises a heavy angle iron support 23 which has a plurality of prongs 2 1 detachably secured thereon by straps 25. These prongs are preferably double ended so that they may be reversed, and the ends are bent so that when adjusted to engage the surface of the road they extend for wardly somewhat as shown in Fig. 2 to hook under the crust formation of the surface of the road and impose a slight lifting effect to readily break up any crust or hard surface on the road.

The angle iron 23 is pivotally supported on the side rails 1, each of the latter having an angular rod 26 secured thereto and embraced by a strap 27 on the angle iron 23 so that the angle iron may be rocked on the rods 26 to either of the positions shown in Figs. 6 and 7 The prongs 24 are mounted flat against one web of the angle iron 23 and the other web of the angle iron extends so as to swing under and bear against a pair of stops 28 which depend from the side rails 1 and by such engagement determine the working position of the scarifying device and brace same during operation.

For adjusting the scarifying device there is an arm 29 secured to the angle iron 23 and projecting upwardly therefrom, the upper end of which is connected by a rod or link 30 with a lever 31 mounted at the rear of the machine on an upright segment 34. The lever 31 has the usual bolt 32 operated by the griplever 33 so as to be held in adusted position by engagement with the rack segment 34.

In the operation of this road surfacing machine the draft connection is arranged by adjusting the clevis 20 on the clevis plate 18, as required. For transporting the machine the lever 12 is adjusted to elevate the frame of the machine to the highest extent, as shown in Fig. 2, and in this position the scraper blade 21 is lifted clear of the road surface. The scarifying device is also preferably rocked by operation of the lever 31 to the position shown in Fig. 1, with the prongs 24 horizontally arranged so as to avoid any possible contact with the road surface.

When a surface is to be graded the rear end of the frame is depressed sufficiently by adjusting the lever 12 to effect the required engagement with the ground surface and the scarifying device is adjusted by operating the lever 12 so that the prongs 2 1engage and rip any crust formation or hard surface of the road, thereby enabling the scraper blade 21 to perform its function with less resistance and without danger of riding over hard spots of the road surface without properly and uniformly grading the road. By the use of the shoe plate 6 at the forward end of the frame and the wheeled truck at the rear end, the draft connection minimizes to some extent the drag of the shoe 6, which, however, maintains contact with the road surface and by reason of its width rides over depressions and irregularities in the surface of the road and maintains the frame substantially against lateral tilting so that a smooth uniform road surface results, The length of the frame between the front and rear supports thereof and the location of the surfacing device therebetween also bridges depressions in the road longitudinally so as to fill in such depressions and even up the road surface.

The lateral slope of the usual roadway and the diagonal arrangement of the scraper blade tends to slide or skid the machine laterally and it is very important that such movement should be prevented. In my device the shoe 6 is used at the front end of the frame as the draft connection at the front end serves to holdthis front end of the machine against such lateral movement. The rear end of the machine, however, being remote from the draft connection, if provided with an ordinary skid or shoe would readily slide laterally under the side draft imposed by the angular engagement of the scraper blade with the road surface and the lateral slope of the road from the center or the rear wheeled support only on the ground,

crown. I therefore emplo at the rear end of the frame, the circum erentially ribbed wheels 7 or other construction so that the rear end of the frame follows the line of draft and holds the frame against lateral displacement.

The rear wheeled support also minimizes draft strain which is much greater if skids or shoes are used at both the front and rear of the device, and enables the machine to be easily drawn along the road.

The front end of the machine may be lifted off the ground and supported by or swing from the rear end of a wagon or truck to eliminate the drag of the shoe and leaves enabling the device to be easily hauled from place to place.

While I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, I am aware that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the principle of my invention, the scope of which is to be determined by reference to the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a road-surfacing machine, the combination of a longitudinal frame having a wheeled support at one end and a shoe at the other end comprising a transverse lath adapted to slide over the surface of the ground, a scraper blade arranged intermediate of the frame supports diagonally of the frame, a scarifying device arranged ahead of the scraper blade and comprising a plurality of prongs adapted to engage and tear the surface of the ground, and means for adjusting the scraper blade and scarifying device to and from the surface of the ground.

2. In a road-surfacing machine, the combination of a longitudinal frame, a wheeled support at one end and a support at the other end comprising a transverse late adapted to slide over the surface 0 the ground, a scraper blade arranged diagonally of the frame between the front and rear supports, a scarifying device comprising a series of prongs arranged transversely of the frame ahead of the scraper blade and adapted to enga e and tear the surface of the ground, an means for differentially adjustmg the scraper blade and scarifying device.

3. In a road-surfacing machine, the combination of a portable frame, a scraper blade mounted. thereon, a scarifying device mounted ahead of the scraper blade and comprising an angle iron extending transversely of the frame and pivoted thereto on a horizontal axis, a plurality of prongs secured to the transverse angle iron, means for swinging the angle iron on its axis to adjust the prongs to and from the ground, and stops on the frame adapted to be engaged by a flange of the angle iron when the prongs are adjusted to engage the ground, said stops in such position serving as abutments to brace the scarifying. device in the operation position.

4. In a road-surfacing machine, the combination of a longitudinal frame having a transverse plate mounted thereunder at the forward end and slidable over the surface of the ground, an arched axle at the rear end of the frame having a wheel on each end and the arched portion journaled to the frame, anadjustable lever connected with the axle for rotating the arched ortion for regulating the elevation of the rame, a scraper arranged diagonally between the front and rear supports of the frame, a rocking scarifying device on' the frame ahead of the scraper blade and having a plurality of prongs arranged in spaced relation transversely of the frame and adapted to engage and tear the surface of the ground preparatory to the operation of the scraper blade, and an adjustable lever for rocking the scarifying device to engage and disengage the prongs with the surface of the ground.

JOSEPH W. LEE. 

